Progeny
by eltitere
Summary: After an absuive relationship with Mizuki, Iruka believes that he can connect with a different silver-haired ninja better. Yet just when our favourite couple were getting comfortable together, a woman appears claiming she bears Kakashi's child.
1. Part I

"Mmmm."

"Kashi, c'mon."

"But your neck _tastes_ so good, Iru..."

"Fine. Since you have satisfied your appetite, this soup won't be of any use will, it?"

"Maa, you know I _always_ have a spot for miso..."

"Especially at two in the morning!"

"Eh heh heh..." The silver-haired jounin scratched his nose before returning to nuzzling his lover's neck while giving him a warm hug from behind.

Iruka, for his part, concentrated on making the soup, not burning it, despite the attentions of his beloved. Recently, Kakashi had taken to eating late-night snacks before leaving on missions early in the morning, which didn't make sense to his boyfriend, because he got less sleep that way. But complaining about the man's strange habits had never gotten Iruka anywhere, so unless they specifically bothered him, he adapted. In this case, adapting meant eating with him and, tonight, making the meal.

"Hey...Iru...after we eat...do you care to join me for a little...ah...nightwear soiree?"

"Don't you have to leave really early tomorrow?" Actually, Kakashi hadn't told him that, but the late-night brew spoke for itself. "Besides, I think you just invited me to a pajama party."

"No pajamas allowed..."

"Then what do you call thaaa--"

The tanned man's question was cut off by a sudden movement of his boyfriend. With an expert hand, Kakashi reached around Iruka and palmed the lump in Iruka's crotch. With just a rub and a squeeze, he managed to get his lover aroused through his clothes. Iruka stopped stirring the soup and tried to take the hand away. 

_We shouldn't_, he said in his mind, _I'll be sore and you won't have energy tomorrow, don't you have an important mission in the Land of Rain?_

"Nnnn...Kashi..." Was what he moaned instead.

Knowing how to get what he wanted, the jounin slowly and deliberately licked his lover's right ear before teasingly pushing his tongue in. Iruka jerked.

A few minutes later, Kakashi turned the stove off, because the forgotten miso was boiling over.

"See? I don't always start these things, and even when I do, it's you who ends up doing this..."

"Shush, or you get nothing," Iruka had paused to retort, and now he slid his lover's hardening member again into his mouth and sucked gently. He judged his ability by the way Kakashi's breath was hitching and near the end used his teeth a little bit. He could tell he was gaining skill. 

Before meeting Kakashi, the thought of giving or receiving head had quite scared him, but now Iruka understood that in a relationship, you were allowed to toy with your lover's privates because there was _trust_ involved. Kakashi trusted him to be gentle yet passionate, and Iruka always did his best to fill that role. Kami knew the jounin...

His thoughts were interrupted by hands tugging at his hair. 

"Bedroom." Kakashi rasped out. "Now."

He didn't like to come in the kitchen. 

_He's behind me again_, thought Iruka dimly as he pressed his face against the pillow, _it's been a while since we've done this position._

Preparations done, the silver-haired ninja kissed his lover's waist tenderly and swiftly entered him. Iruka gasped. Entry was always painful, especially in this position, but once they settled into a steady rhythm the pain was gone, replaced by pleasure. Moaning, Iruka couldn't hold out much longer, his lover's fingers were too much. With a spasm, he came into Kakashi's stroking hand. _Man, Mizuki was never this good...wait, what?? _

He soon forgot his train of thought when his lover's thrusts became more needy and erratic. Suddenly halting his movement, Kakashi always growled as he came. The feeling of his boyfriend's seed filling him made Iruka forget to think altogether for some time.

**Piii piii piiii.**_Damn annoying alarm clock!_ Iruka moved to turn it off and realized it wasn't on his side of the bed. The annoying sound stopped, and a weight was lifted off the bed. He turned around to see Kakashi getting quietly dressed. The alarm clock told him it was four in the morning._ I should've let him rest instead of doing it..._Sleep was threatening to take hold of him, but he wanted to say something. Kakashi beat him to it.

"Behave while I'm gone."  
"That's my line..."  
The jounin kissed his boyfriend on the forehead and walked off. _Bye Kashi, take care..._ Iruka didn't know if he said this or only dreamt it. 

_Mizuki..._Why had that name come up? He hadn't thought about Mizuki in a long time...

Iruka rolled over. His relationship with the other chuunin had started out a happy one. They had met in teacher training class and hit it off right away. Shortly after they started teaching formally, he had been invited to Mizuki's apartment. They spent an enjoyable night together.  
After that, Iruka invited him a few times to his own apartment. Back then, everything had been smiles and roses.

And then, his companion had changed. Iruka had started to notice changes in his boyfriend a month after they started living together. If it was not work-related, Mizuki didn't talk to him. At home he was moody and demanding, occasionally even losing his temper at random stuff, like too much spice in the soup. His preference for sexual positions had gone through an evolution too: he now demanded that Iruka be on the bottom, and face down. The dolphin didn't know why their relationship was deteriorating and did his best to patch things up with Mizuki.

But despite his amiable nature, Iruka knew a line of respect had to be drawn, and if Mizuki crossed it he'd have to leave. If he crossed it, and Iruka stayed and forgave him, it'd be like giving him permission to treat him like a discarded old slipper, always stepped on, always ignored. There was one thing Iruka would never forgive Mizuki, or any other partner. It was exactly what the white-haired chuunin did.

It had been a Saturday night. The dolphin took them to a bar, hoping to cheer Mizuki up, to let him unwind a bit. Unfortunately, they met some colleagues from school and the office, so it didn't turn out the quiet evening together Iruka had been hoping for. In fact, by the time they got home, Mizuki was angry again.  
"What the hell were you doing?? Flirting with everyone!"  
"Flirting? Mi-kun, I was with you, and everyone knew it."  
"Bullshit! You were quite happy talking with Tetsuo, refilling his sake cup over and over!"  
"He was happy because he's going to get promoted, and I refilled his cup because it was something polite to do..."  
"Don't talk back to me!!" 

It may have been the alcohol hollering, but the slap across the face was 100 Mizuki. Iruka's retaliation was quite swift, slamming his ex-boyfriend against the wall and making him see stars. Iruka panted. He felt tears coming, and he didn't know whether they were from anger or grief, or both.

"You just crossed the line, Daitora-san." He hadn't used his last name since the day they had met.  
Mizuki, for his part, looked dumbfounded at the blood dribbling from his broken nose and then at Iruka.  
"I tried to make this work, I really did. You turned out to be a complete asshole in the end, despite everything."  
"'Ruka I--" 

But the scarred man wouldn't hear any excuses. He didn't want to hear his pet name called by a bastard either. He turned his back to his former love and went off to clear his stuff out of their place.

After that, Iruka dedicated all his energy to schoolwork. He volunteered to supervise as many extracurricular activities as his schedule would allow, and he taught his normal classes with renewed passion. Despite seeing him often at work, he never spoke to Mizuki unless strictly necessary. Mizuki, for his part, pretended their relationship had never happened, though he sometimes sent Iruka scalding glances.

The night Naruto stole the scroll, Iruka finally learned the reason for the change that had come over his lover. Mizuki had been power-hungry and had tried to gain power the quick way, not by his own achievement. Iruka brooded for a long time, wondering whether he could have saved Mizuki from jail and Naruto from that betrayal by paying better attention to Mizuki and his moods. 

But then Mizuki never had said anything to him about it, not even when they joked about social differences between jounins and chuunins. In the end, Iruka concluded that lack of communication had killed their love. He also concluded that this communication had to be volunteered by both people in a relationship, not dragged out. Kami knew that he had hidden things from Mizuki, but not things that could get them in trouble with the law. He decided not to go out with anyone until he had gathered his thoughts and had more experience. He didn't want to rush things again.

But then the Sharigan Ninja arrived. Iruka didn't speak to him directly until he was told that he was Naruto's, Sakura's and Sasuke's teacher and that he had recommended them for the chuunin exam. He told him off for putting his beloved students in danger, of course, but something about the man's cool demeanor threatened to blow him off his feet. He started looking for droopy silver hair in the mission room. He also paid extra attention when Naruto complained in the ramen stand about "getting lost on the path of life" not being proper excuse for being late.

Before he knew it, it had happened. He'd invited Hatake Kakashi, the Great Copy Ninja, for some tempura. The jounin had been cautious and even slightly suspicious at first; maybe he thought Iruka wanted to seduce him in order to obtain information or kill him. He was cold to the chuunin at first, perhaps to test his intentions, but Iruka coddled and pampered the pervy nin like a stray cat. He didn't know why, but he cared.

After a few months, Iruka was in a relationship again. But it was different from before. 

Despite his endless teasing, Kakashi never really forced or coaxed him into sex, despite suggesting it almost every day. He listened to Iruka's rants about traps in the classroom and spelling mistakes in copied homework. He even cooked when the teacher was too tired from chasing the brats around, and Iruka was always grateful, despite the constant and obvious excess of salt. Iruka in return paid attention to Kakashi's words as well as his actions. 

He learned that the silver-haired nin sometimes spoke with his body more than through his mask. Reading Icha Icha, he learned, meant a lot of different things. Depending on the posture, Kakashi was relaxed, concentrating, irritated, not wanting to hear about the outside world, or on his way to getting horny. If hit by a random bout of affection, he would leave some present in Iruka's desk on top of the attendance sheet, which somehow said _I love you _and _you're not getting any sleep tonight _at the same time. The brunette always thought it was terribly cute.

A week before, Iruka had told Kakashi he loved him. Despite everything they shared, neither had ever said it so bluntly and directly.

The jounin had looked caught off guard for a second before replying: "Yeah me too..." Iruka had expected some wild sex after the declaration. Instead, that night they only snuggled. Iruka reflected on how little and how much he knew Kakashi when the jounin's breath evened as he fell asleep against his chest. 

He opened his eyes. Why was the sun so high, and why hadn't his alarm gone off? Oh yeah...it was Sunday...no school today. He rolled over, looking for a familiar warm body, and found none. Then he remembered the mission. He sighed and sank into the covers. He bolted upright immediately. Why was he acting like a newlywed housewife? He was a grown man; he knew how to entertain himself! He threw off the covers and decided to have a productive day, despite the lack of Kakashi.

_It's been more than a week now..._Iruka quietly put the dry dishes away. He could stand an extended time without his lover, but whenever he took three days on a mission more than he had promised, Iruka got antsy. This time Kakashi had failed to return after the promised four days. Iruka sighed and put the last bowl away.

Iruka remembered the first night they had made love. Despite his past experience, it had been the chuunin that started it. He'd maneuvered Kakashi into his bedroom and onto the bed. The jounin didn't protest or resist; he even responded with kisses and caresses, up until the point of undressing. Then he'd gone strangely limp. 

Iruka had been dumbfounded. He'd assumed that Kakashi would take the lead at this point, but the blank stare in his boyfriend's eyes warned him that something was not right. In the end, the silver-haired nin had told him that the last time he'd been with a man in similar circumstances, he'd been hurt. The word "rape" flared in the chuunin's mind, and he felt a fury that made him capable of murder. However, Kakashi told him that the soulless villain that had been responsible had already been taken care of. 

Iruka had felt helpless because he couldn't ease the pain of a past event, simply because it already happened. But in the end, Kakashi wouldn't let him call it off and for the first time in many months, Iruka topped. He did it gently. Afterwards, Kakashi joked that if he had gone any slower he might have fallen asleep and missed it. Iruka elbowed him in response, but he was glad that the pain had been forgotten. 

He dried his hands with the kitchen towel while reflecting.

When he started going out with Kakashi, he knew that, because he was a jounin, not everything was going to be a bed of roses. He had been really glad that Kakashi hadn't pretended otherwise, not lying to him when he came back covered in mud and blood. On those nights, Iruka knew that making any sudden movements might get him killed. Sometimes Kakashi's tension was so bad that he feared he might leave and not come back. He always did his best to soothe his wounded jounin, to wash his wounds and get him warm, but sometimes that was not enough to drive the dark thoughts from his mind.

One night, Kakashi stormed into the house with leaves and sticks in his hair, and sand everywhere, not to mention the blood. Iruka had done his best to herd him into the shower and then into the kitchen, but the jounin refused to eat the fish onigiri offered and went straight to bed. Iruka tried to hug him when he went under the covers, but he got shrugged off. _Oh well, everyone needs some down time_, he reasoned and gave his back to Kakashi. Later in the night, however, he woke up to someone talking. Kakashi was half-moaning, half arguing in his sleep, rolling over incessantly. Iruka shook him gently.

"Kashi, wake up, you're having a bad dream."

His moans only got louder and more anguished. Iruka started to get worried, so he shook him harder.

"Kakashi! Wake up! Wake up!"

Without warning, the jounin's eyes flew open, and his hands went around Iruka's throat. Iruka couldn't speak for the lack of air and he looked with frightened and anxious eyes to his love. Then Kakashi recognized him. Release was automatic.

"Iruka! Oh Kami, what have I done? Are you all right?? Iruka! Iruka! Answer me!"

Iruka held his throat and gasped for air. Tears stung his eyes. Was this no different from Mizuki? He turned to meet Kakashi's eye. He looked devastated; he looked like he might even cry if Iruka didn't accept his apology. _No...this isn't like Mizuki...he is honestly sorry...he didn't do it on purpose..._

He pulled stammering Kakashi into a hug and said: "Just be more careful next time, OK?"

Kakashi hugged him back so tightly that Iruka feared his ribs might crack. Afterwards, he held his chuunin more often, even after missions.

_Kaaaashi! Where are youuu?_ Iruka stretched out on the bed and prepared himself for another night by himself. He rolled over a few times; he was listless. _So much for not being the impatient housewife..._

The door opened. Iruka sat up as if someone had pinched him. Did he fall asleep on the bed over the covers and with his clothes on? Apparently, yes. But what woke him up? The door! He jumped off the bed and ran to the living room.  
"Kashi!" Iruka almost glomped him, but he knew that was not the best of ideas with a jounin returning from a mission.  
"Iru..." He sounded really tired, but he didn't look physically wounded. Maybe he had overused the Sharingan again? Pressed chakra points? Iruka decided to go with their routine. Without sudden movements, he took Kakashi's clothes off and pushed him into the shower, running hot water. There were some minor cuts here and there that he dressed.

The shower revitalized the jounin enough for him to get into his pajama bottoms on his own. Almost skipping with joy, Iruka jumped under the covers, took his shirt off and happily patted the place beside him on the bed. Kakashi almost lost his composure. Who could resist a huge smile like that, much less when the smile's owner was shirtless and in bed? But there was something hovering in his mind, and he couldn't do it with Iruka until he thought it over.  
"Iru, I would love to, but I'm so freakin' tired..."  
"Eh? Oh...it's all right! That was careless of me! Of course you need your rest! Come to bed, Kashi, I promise I won't do anything!" Iruka blushed at his slip. _Man, how cute can you get?_ Kakashi thought as he slipped under the covers too and let himself be kissed to sleep. True to his word, Iruka left his pants alone.

_Lying here won't solve anything...well, it will, but then it would cause more trouble...speak to her, yes, that's right...explain the situation...it can't go on like this..._ Kakashi rolled over. Years of battle experience hadn't prepared him to deal with a situation like this. He prioritized. 

First and foremost: Iruka. He'd break the news gently, perhaps a bit at a time. If Iruka left him, then nothing mattered anymore for Kakashi, the world would be a bleak and barren place. Then there was himself. He liked to stay out of trouble, thank you very much, and the less he dirtied his hands, the better. Third was Iruka again, don't forget him...

And fourth was the woman. That scheming woman. She couldn't have planned ruining his life better. But there wasn't a chance in hell he would let her hurt Iruka. Hopefully they wouldn't even have to meet.

Kami, he needed some release from this tension. And the answer was sleeping right next to him.  
Iruka awoke to his pajamas leaving his body.  
"Eh?"  
"What were you saying earlier about rest...?"  
The tired part hadn't been entirely a lie. He happily let enthusiastic Iruka be seme. He owed him that much.


	2. Part II

Natsume Kossori crossed the street surely but carefully, her swollen belly moving before her. 

The chill autumn breeze didn't bother her; she was covered with enough layers of clothing to make a small tent. She reflected on the times that she would have worn short skirts and tight blouses even in this kind of weather, just to look good. Everything had its pros and its cons, as her uncle used to say, and pregnancy was proving to be no exception to this proverb. 

It was nice having people let her cut the line in supermarkets and ladies' washrooms, but the extra-sensitivity and the insomnia she could do without. She sighed and took out the folded piece of paper, checking the address for the fifteenth time. If she was really going to do this, she wanted to spare the other woman the humiliation of having the neighbors know it first and broadcast it across town. 

She agreed with Kakashi on that point: the fewer people who knew about this whole enterprise, the better. She felt a pang of guilt remembering that her condition had come about through her own carelessness, and even though this Hatake man had had a hand in it, the situation could have been avoided if she'd been more careful. If she hadn't put things off for so long... 

Natsume remembered the day when everything had started, however blurrily. It had been a night out with her girlfriends, going to a singles bar where Naoki, her best friend, was going to meet her date. Natsume wasn't the drinking type, but her friends enthusiasm was contagious, and she ended up taking a few more glasses than she could handle. 

After her friend had left with her new boyfriend, Natsume was left to her own devices and decided to play the evil temptress. She flirted shamelessly with the man next to her, his silver hair having attracted her attention. He seemed as drunk and happy as she was. 

Natsume couldn't recall walking home with him, or getting into her apartment, or having sex. She did remember the intense and cloying pain of the hangover she had had the morning after, though. She remembered sitting up in bed and being surprised to see the man from the night before stealthily dressing. She had been embarrassed to discover she was naked. She had wished he would leave soon. 

What was his name again? ...Had he even told her that? Kami, is he putting on a hitai-ate? And a flak vest! He's a ninja! 

Natsume, being a civilian, was staggered. Sure, ninja men many times took civilian women for wives, and they treated them well enough, but for the most part, the two classes stayed well apart, their cultural differences too big to ignore. One group concerned itself with economy and husbandry and the other with refined killing and warfare. They didn't have a common ground except in business. Natsume recalled her mother's warning that marrying a ninja was not a good idea, since emotions were purged out of them since they were children. She had always wondered if this was true. 

The man turned around. He looked sober now, but Natsume wasn't really able to tell with that face-mask he wore. One of his eyes was covered by his hitai-ate, which was on lopsided. She wondered if that was on purpose.

"Hn, you're awake," he noted, and then promptly walked into her kitchen. Natsume was even more confused. Any man would know what a one-night-stand was and a ninja should understand better than anyone when a situation required no strings. So what was he doing? 

She felt a surge of panic when he came back with a cup of steaming tea. Did he want to stay? Had he become attached to her or something? What if he demanded she became his?

"Drink it, it discourages pregnancy." 

She let out sigh of relief and took the cup. It was too hot to drink yet, so she put it on her dresser. She turned to tell him something, but he had already leapt out the window, disappearing in seconds. 

Natsume reflected on this mysterious man for a long time, knowing that she wasn't likely to see him again. Perhaps that was why she was intrigued. She forgot all about the tea until a week later, when she found the cup filled with now-murky contents next to her fruit bowl, where she'd left it. She threw the brew out. 

Natsume went on with her ordinary life as an accountant for a rice company. She cutthe ninja man and what had happened out of her mind. It was done and over with. 

Until she missed her period for the third time in a row. And she started being bothered by smells, however faint. Doubt crept into her mind. She remembered the forgotten tea. What if...?

When it got to the point she couldn't stand the suspense any longer, she went to a place that Naoki recommended. A sign outside read "Nakasato Clinic: Gynecologist, Obstetrician." She didn't know why she felt so nervous once inside. She barely noticed the examination she was given. 

"Kossori-san?"

"Hn? Oh!...yes?" She'd been startled by the doctor.

"Your urine test is positive, and I've just confirmed it: you're pregnant."

"Oh..."

Samui watched her patient's face carefully. It was always hard to know whether single women wanted to be congratulated or not.

"Um...this is kind of delicate...but...do you know if you want to carry the pregnancy to term?"

Natsume face fell. She should say "No, I don't know who the father is, this child would not get enough support from my meager salary." So why wasn't she speaking? 

"If this is...inconvenient, we should schedule another visit as soon as possible." Samui wrote on her clipboard. "We can only do terminations up to ten weeks safely. That means you have about five weeks to decide." 

"I see..."

"Just don't wait too long, all right?"

"Hn..." 

For a long time, Natsume lay in a numb state, feeling neither joy nor depression. She didn't know what to think. Weeks passed, the date when it would become dangerous to have an abortion creeping closer and closer. She hadn't drunk since that night and now started asking her friends to put out their cigarettes when they chatted. Why hadn't she reached a decision? It was obvious: she could not support two people with her current job, and children needed new clothes and shoes every year...And yet, and _yet_... 

One of her friends, Karin, was dating a chuunin ninja. Natsume casually asked how much he made. She tried not to drop her drink when Karin cheerfully answered a sum that was easily ten times her salary. 

After that, Natsume set out to find out who the mysterious masked ninja was. It took her some time; masks were very common, and she wasn't sure whether to describe his hair white or silver or grey. The lopsided hitai-ate earned her the information that she was looking for, though: that was a unique characteristic of Hatake Kakashi. 

By the time she learned this, she was well past the time when abortions could be performed legally and was even starting to show. But she didn't know what manner of man this Kakashi was. She feared for her safety. He might become angry at her and hit her for not ending it when she could. He might demand she get rid of the baby, even though it was not a simple matter anymore. Or he might simply not care and leave her to her own devices. Each time she considered this, Natsume gulped in fear. She didn't know which was worse. 

By the time she had tracked him down at the ninja office and mustered the courage to speak to him, she was at the beginning of the eighth month. She waited until he came back from a mission alone, without colleagues or students. His face fell a little when he recognized her face. It fell even further when he saw her stomach. She had little to explain.

"Are you _sure _it's mine? If you try to trick me, you could get in trouble with the law."

"I haven't slept with anyone but you in a very long time, I don't, and didn't, have a boyfriend." 

Kakashi pressed his fingers to his temples. _Not good, not good, not good at all._

"Why on _earth_ did you not..._end_ it? This puts us in a tight situation, both you and me!"

"I...To be honest, I don't know. I planned to track you down before reaching a decision, and by the time I did, it was too late. I didn't mean–...I didn't plan this." 

"You realize I could claim I don't know you, and then you would be left on your own, right?"

Natsume didn't answer; she just stared straight ahead, frozen in fear of what he might say next.

"But...I'm the kind of guy that recognizes his mistakes...and this is definitely one..." 

He looked a little deflated; even the mask didn't conceal that. "What do you think we should do, then?" He stared at her, waiting for her opinion. 

Natsume stammered. She hadn't planned beyond surviving this meeting. "I...I think we should be parents to this child...I can't do this alone, not with what I earn..."

"What, are you suggesting I should marry you?"

"Um...if you think that is the best to raise—"

"You don't get this. I may not be married, but I already have someone." He glared. "I know I have been faithful, we did this before we hooked up, but if you showed up like this at my doorstep, how would I prove it?" 

She felt faint. She hadn't considered the fact that Kakashi may already have a girlfriend, or even a wife. Things were spinning out of her control now. Or maybe she never really had been in control? 

The jounin shook his head. "Listen, I have to go now. You look well, so I won't look into your health. If you give me your address I'll send money so you can afford nutritious foods and stuff. We'll have to figure this out later." Natsume blankly wrote her address on the piece of paper he gave her.

Kakashi turned to leave. "And one thing." He said over his shoulder. "You _stay away _from my lover, do you understand?"

"Yes..." 

However, a few weeks after, Natsume decided that the situation could not go on like this. Despite having talked to him, she still didn't know the jounin well enough to predict his actions. And this lover of his was a complete unknown. What if Kakashi insisted he and his lover raise the child with no interference from Natsume? Could he do that? What if he tired of the child and put it in an orphanage, or worse, abandoned it in the streets or the forest? Even though Natsume wasn't sure if she wanted to raise the kid, she certainly was not going to let Kakashi mistreat and abuse it. She would be all right with the child being raised by Hatake and this other person, as long as she knew that it wasn't abused._ It, it, _she should find out if it's a boy or girl. But not now. 

That line of thinking had led to today's journey. She had obtained Hatake's address with a bit of bribery and was now on her way there. She didn't know what Kakashi would do if he saw her here, but she just _had_ to make sure that the baby would be all right. She had to meet this lover and determine if she was a good person. She knocked on the green door when she arrived at the right number. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. 

The door was not opened by Kakashi, nor a woman. In the doorway stood a man in his twenties, with dark brown hair pulled up in a ponytail and a long scar across the bridge of his nose. By the looks of his clothes, also a ninja. 

Iruka smiled; the sight of a pregnant woman made him happy somehow. He loved children!

"Hi."

"Hello...does Hatake Kakashi live here?"

"Yes, he does. But he's not here. Can I help you?"

"Well, I want to meet his lover...I heard _she_ lives here"

Iruka was taken aback "Er...Why don't you come in and sit down for a minute?"

"Um...all right..." Natsume didn't know what to make of this man; was he Kakashi's friend or brother or something? Well...not likely brother, the hair was too off. 

Iruka served the stranger tea. He wondered how to tell her the truth.

"I'm Umino Iruka," he introduced himself. "Well, why would you wish to meet Kashi's lover?"

"Personal business; who are you?"

"I live here. Maybe you can tell me who you are."

"I'm Natsume Kossori, and I wish to see Kakashi's lover..." She hesitated. 

Then she decided that this Iruka person wasn't likely to tell her anything if she didn't tell the truth. He seemed trustworthy enough.

"...because I'm carrying his child..."

In the silence that followed you could hear the wind howling outside.

Kakashi returned home amiably, with his Icha Icha in front of his nose, like he did most evenings.

"I'm home!" he called when he opened the door. The house sat in stony silence.

"Iruka? Iru-kuuuunnnn!" Where was his lover? He didn't have desk duty today.

He found Iruka slumped over the coffee table in the living room. Right away he knew something was wrong.

"Iruka...? What..what happened? Are you all right?"

"Hey...Kakashi guess what...?' Iruka looked up and smiled with a smile that made the jounin want to cower in fear. "A woman came by today...do you know what her name was...? She said she was Natsume..." 

Kakashi froze, a cold shudder running through him. _No, no, she couldn't have!_

"You know what else she said? Hn, Kakashi? She said that she was pregnant with _your_ child..." 

"I-I-Iruka..." 

His lover's voice was colder than frostbite. "Is it true?" His tone had a finality to it.

Kakashi swallowed, hoping to wet his dry throat. "I'm...afraid so...but I can explain–" 

Iruka cut him off. He didn't want to hear. "Get out of my house." His fists were shaking.

It took a while for Kakashi to register what Iruka had told him to do. He tried to meet the chuunin's gaze, but he couldn't. Feeling completely numb, he walked out. 

When Iruka heard the door close and the presence gone, he let the tears spill.


	3. Part III

Dawn came

Dawn came.

Shadows in the room became more and more defined as the earth turned, and more of the sun's light hit the land. With pinky clouds dotting the sky like fish lazily swimming in a koi pond, the view was spectacular.

It was a beautiful day.

It was a dreadful day.

Iruka stared at the overhead lamp, not moving, just being. He was trembling slightly; part of his body was cold and uncovered by his blanket, but he didn't move to cover himself.

At the moment, even breathing evenly seemed like a difficult task, so he wouldn't bother with getting up until much later. He was exhausted, though from mental, not physical exertion. Slowly, he turned his head to the side, and he saw his own right hand, half closed. He flexed it experimentally. Fingers twitched and responded to his command. He closed his eyes and sighed.

The heavy cloud of the subconscious was being lifted off him gradually, the mental turmoil returning completely, along with vivid memories of the day before. He sat up, trying to remember what had happened after Kakashi had left. He couldn't recall how long he'd been quietly sobbing in a curled-up position, until he couldn't feel his butt anymore. He couldn't remember at what time he had sent a pigeon to the Hokage's office, saying that he was feeling terrible and couldn't teach, which was not entirely a lie.

He remembered turning the lights off and climbing into the empty bed, though. And the rationalizing he did afterwards.

Fact One, he would have to talk to the Natsume woman again. She'd told him some things, but he still needed more information to make sure.

Fact Two, he would need to ask the landlord how long it had been since he had moved into this house with Kakashi.

Fact Three, he ached for Kakashi. He'd never felt such a longing. Yet thinking of him hurt Iruka. It hurt him, because Kakashi had failed to share something important with him, something that affected both their lives so much.

That hurt him more than anything else.

A fresh tear rolled down his cheek. He wiped it away. Thinking of Kakashi also made him remember the things he'd said yesterday. Iruka didn't know which was worse, the feeling of having been betrayed or the guilt for having turned his lover out.

Iruka knew he had a strong influence on Kakashi's emotions. He hoped Kakashi didn't think that Iruka had rejected him in his heart. He desperately needed to set things straight with him before anything else happened. But what he wanted to do the most was to confirm how many lies Kakashi had told him. He doubted that Kakashi had gotten drunk and slept with a random woman when they were together, but he had also doubted that he'd keep secrets from him. He sighed.

He dressed automatically. He didn't even notice he'd made a cup of strong tea until the bitter herbs touched his lips. He went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face, partly to wake up, partly to remove the tear-stains.

By the time he'd reached the apartment complex, the morning was in full bustle. People went on with their lives, keeping busy, some even waving at him. At first, he'd pretended to be cheerful and smiled at people a bit. He admonished himself. As a child, pretending he didn't hurt inside as much as he really did had earned him a few fast friends, but it hadn't solved his troubles. Repeating that as an adult wouldn't yield better results. He hurried to the address.

"Yes?" Natsume was surprised by such an early visit. Glancing at her wall clock she saw that it was not so early anymore. Being on maternity leave made her lose her morning perkiness.

"Natsume-san, it's me, Iruka, " the closed door answered. She hastily opened it. Outside was Kakashi's male lover, the pony-tailed guy. _Male_ lover. She didn't want to believe it, but she had to.

"Hello, do come in. I'm sorry, I haven't made any breakfast, but perhaps I can fix you something."

"No, I'm all right, thank you."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Natsume-sa--"

"Before you begin, let me tell you something."

Iruka remained silent.

"I never intended to hurt either of you. I will admit that it was a mistake on my side, but I never wished Kakashi-san any harm. Nor you."

She looked him in the eye. "Kakashi doesn't have a mistress; we're not lovers."

Although he'd figured this part was true from yesterday, Iruka still inwardly let out a sigh of relief. But he still had doubts.

"Natsume-san, how did you and Kakashi meet?"

"Call me Tsume. And I told you, we're not lovers."

Iruka couldn't hold back a smile. The Tsume he knew was the leader of the Inuzuka clan and rather strong and tomboyish. She had very few similarities with this honest, if a little scatter-brained, girl.

"Well, you two still met at some point in the past, right?"

"Yeah...in a singles bar at night. I was a bit drunk. And if I recall correctly, so was he."

"Uh huh."

"Well...when you're drunk, you don't think clearly, do you? Well, I sort of talked to him, and I guess we sort of hit off...to tell the truth, I don't remember a lot of details."

"Are you sure you...did it with him?"

"I remembered that hair and the hitai-ate, and he confirmed it when I saw him. If it makes you feel better, he left immediately the morning after, rather rushed."

Iruka considered for a moment.

"One last question...how many months along are you?"

"Next week I'll begin my ninth month, according my obstetrician."

The chuunin counted in his head. About eight or nine months ago, Kakashi and he had been courting. Not really dating yet, but they were starting to have a rather friendly disposition towards one another. Naruto had been with them back then, but not Sasuke. He started to get up.

"Thank you Natsume-san; we'll talk again."

"It's Tsume, and may I ask you a question?"

"Ask away."

"Iruka-san...what are your feelings about raising the child?"

The brunette froze for a few moments. Then he sighed and sat back down.

"I'm not sure...Tsume. It's something I need to discuss with Kakashi. It's a big decision; it's an enormous responsibility."

"I know that Iruka-san; that's why I ask. I don't think I can gather my wits enough to properly raise a child. But both of you seem like rather responsible men, and you...you have a kind air about you...I-I would trust you guys to raise this child..."

Iruka considered in silence. Suddenly the pregnant woman sat up.

"I didn't mean it like that, Iruka-san!"

"What?"

"I mean...I wasn't trying to dump the responsibility on you! It's entirely your decision; don't mind me!" She looked flustered.

Iruka smiled. "I would consider it even if you hadn't brought up the subject, Tsume, so don't worry. Still, it's too early to give you an answer."

"Yes..."

"Now please excuse me, Tsume...I have a lot on my mind."

"Yes, you must have..please stop by anytime..."

Once outside, Iruka took a deep breath and teleported himself to the Hokage monument. He sighed as he sat on Sandaime's forehead.

The way he saw it, things weren't actually going that bad. When he'd started teaching, he'd known immediately he just _loved_ children and loved teaching them. But many times it happened that he had to break bad habits they learned at home, because their parents allowed it or didn't bother correcting them. Since then, he had considered starting a family of his own, teaching his own child the right way of a ninja since the beginning and giving him or her all his love.

The only obstacle in his way was his own homosexuality. He'd discussed adopting with Mizuki for a while, but after some time, the silver-haired chuunin had said that he had enough with brats at work, he didn't want one at home too. And when he tried to raise the issue with Kakashi, the copy-nin said "hn," and continued trying to squirm his hand into his boyfriend's pants. Spending time with Naruto in the ramen stand always ended too soon.

The thing that stung about this pregnancy was that Kakashi hadn't told him right away. Thinking about it brought pain to Iruka's chest and made tears threaten to reappear. _Why, Kakashi? Why? If you had told me from the beginning...I might even have been happy about it...a little shocked, yes, but happy later...Is it...that you don't trust me?...or you don't consider me important enough to know? _

Iruka knew that the last scenario was the least likely, but he felt hurt enough to consider it. He got up and took a deep, calming breath. He adjusted his hitai-ate and started moving towards the war memorial.

The moon shone lazily overhead, oblivious to everyone's problems.

Kakashi squatted, every muscle in his body taut and tense, screaming at him to move. With one hand, he gripped a kunai knife with such strength that it would have left marks had it not been made from special sturdy steel. He was observing Natsume's apartment building. Any ninja that might have passed by would have been able to tell he was ready to kill.

His mind wasn't made up about it, though. Half of it burned with rage, screaming at him to get rid of the woman that had separated him from Iruka. The other half sunk in hollow despair, because Iruka had rejected him. Obito, the only voice of reason left in Kakashi's brain, feared that his friend might split in two.

The internal battle raged on.

_Kill her...she's the one that caused me pain...she told Iruka...it's all HER fault..._

_Kakashi, will you please THINK? It's your fault as well as hers. Maybe she thought she was doing what was best, telling Iruka before the child comes, so it's not such a shock to him...and her telling him doesn't give you the right to kill her._

_Iruka! Iruka! Why did you throw me out?? Ohh, I still love you! I'm so sorry..._

_Besides, if you kill her, you'll kill the child right along with her. An innocent baby!_

_Maybe I WANT to get of the brat too...it's the brat's fault this mess happened!_

_How can you possibly say that?? Do you think this child WANTED to be conceived outside of marriage, by a woman that didn't know the father?? Would you kill an innocent person for your own selfish vengeance? It's one thing to kill to protect your village...but this would qualify as the most heinous murder! I would never forgive you for that, Kakashi!_

_...Iruka...I love you...sorry..._

_Then what on earth do you suggest I DO, Obito?? That I raise the child? There are enough crazy parents in this world without adding me to the list!_

_What are you so scared of...? You have been pressed many times to continue the Hatake line; you knew it would happen sooner or later...Kakashi?_

_I...can't...raise a child...no..._

_Kakashi...?_

If possible, the jounin tensed even more. A memory, long forgotten and pushed aside, resurfaced in his mind.

When Sakumo first returned from that mission with his comradesalive, Kakashi had been overjoyed. He'd hugged his father and been all smiles, and he thought the rest of the village would do so too, they'd be so happy that they didn't lose soldiers.

But instead, they'd both started receiving sideways glares and hushed whispers as they passed through the village. People frowned at them in stores, and a few went as far as actually openly berating Sakumo for failing the mission. It got worse from then on.

Kakashi didn't understand why he was getting so much abuse. All his life he'd been praised for being a genius and being his father's son, and he'd been proud of both. But now people were bad-mouthing his father, and if he tried to defend him, he got insulted too. He hated it.

In time, he started believing it was Sakumo's fault that no one ever praised or even spoke kindly to him. He started believing the rest of the villagers were right about his father; how could so many people be wrong?

He remembered that night. Sakumo had returned with a long face, and had sat quietly in the living room for some time. Then a knock came at the door. It was an ANBU official.

"Hatake Sakumo, due to recent transgressions of the Ninja Law during missions, you are removed from you duties as a Konoha jounin."

"What? Has the Hokage ordered this?"

"No, it has been decided by the council. And if you know what is good for you, Hatake, you'll leave this as is."

Sakumo slid the door closed and read the scroll. His face was a mask of misery when he finished. It was official, then. He stepped closer to his son.

"Kakashi..." He reached out to him. "Kakashi...why..did it come to this? Why did it turn out this way?"

Eight-year-old Kakashi glared at his father. "If you don't like the consequences, then you shouldn't have done that."

"What?"

"You shouldn't have saved them! The mission was more important than petty emotions!"

"Kakashi..."

"People who don't obey the rules are scum!"

"Kakashi! Why are you talking this way to me? What--?"

"I hate you!"

Kakashi hadn't seen the tears on his father's face then. He'd stomped out of the room. He didn't see Sakumo alive after that.

_How could I...have said that...?_

_If my own kid said that to me..._

_...I'd wanna die..._

_Kakashi..._Obito's voice was no longer scolding.

_And yet I had no trouble...saying it to __**him**_..._father..._.

_Children say cruel stuff without realizing it, don't be so hard on yourself..._

_He committed seppuku right after that...my fault..._

_You were the drop of water that made the dam overflow, your father had a lot of pressure from everyone..._

_Oh Kami, my life is just one mistake after the other..._

Kakashi felt an unfamiliar burn in his nose. When he hiccupped, he realized his body wanted to cry. He jumped away from the tree branch he'd been standing on. If he was going to lose it, he didn't want it to be in an unfamiliar place. He got to the memorial as dawn came.

"Kakashi...?"

Iruka slowly approached the crouched figure in front of the war memorial. He had every reason to think the figure was his lover: the hair, the chakra presence, the arrangement of the weapons belt...but he found it truly disconcerting to see the figure quietly sobbing.

In all their time together, Kakashi had seldom displayed his emotions openly, and Iruka had treasured every smile and pout he got undisguised. Sometimes the jounin got a little teary in his sleep, but he'd always hugged Iruka and stopped not long after. This was different. He'd never seen his lover cry like this, quiet sobs and hiccups preceding tears in red-rimmed eyes. The mask was soggy and soaked, barely on. Iruka had the urge to cry himself and rush to his lover's side.

"Kakashi...it's me..." He approached with slow, deliberate steps.

"I know...Iruka...even if you hate me. I love you...you have every reason to hate me...I...understand... "

"Just tell me something, Kakashi...why...didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me right away...?"

"I didn't want to hurt you, but that doesn't matter now...I'll do whatever you say, Iruka, just...promise me that the child will have a happy home...I couldn't bear the thought of--"

"Listen to me!" Iruka grabbed the sides of Kakashi's head, forcing the jounin to turn towards him. "Hatake Kakashi, I think you're a fool. You're a fool to not have told me right away, because your faith in me is far more important than any mistake you could make. You're a fool not to have used protection in the first place..."

The silver-haired nin would have liked to wail his anguish right then, but he waited for Iruka to finish his verdict. "...and you're a fool for thinking I that would leave you."

_There it is...wait, what? _Kakashi stared at his lover incredulously.

Iruka leaned closer. "Do you how much this is going to _cost_ us?" He pulled down the soggy mask and kissed those pale lips tenderly. "First, we're going to have to buy one of those dumb books full of names."

Hesitantly, Kakashi wrapped his arms around the smiling man. "Do you...still love me, then...?"

Iruka pretended to consider it. "Yeah, I still love you, jerk." He kissed him again and wrapped his fingers around his lover's, holding them tightly.

Kakashi felt more tears falling, but he wasn't sad anymore.

Iruka hugged him tightly. "I want us to raise this child together, my foolish man. I can't do it by myself, and neither can you."

Kakashi rested his head on Iruka's shoulder. "Together..." _Not...by myself..._

He met his lovers lips once more, this time in earnest.


	4. Part IV Finale

Hatake-san

Hatake-san...?" The voice was gentle, yet commanding. Kakashi wondered where it came from.  
"Hatake-san!" Still Kakashi ignored it. Something far more important had his complete and undivided attention.  
"Hatake, at least wrap him in the towel; he'll get cold!" He obeyed this order automatically. His brain had stopped functioning properly since _it _had been placed in his arms.

This...brand-new person.

Obito laughed at him, saying that the thing he was having the most trouble understanding was that this was a human being.

Not an obscure entity that came to take his Iruka away from him.  
Not an abstract idea to understand.  
Not an invading alien.  
Not a miniature copy of himself.

A human being. A naked, bald, wet, screaming and confused human being. He wrapped the towel around the tiny body very gently. He'd never been so scared of dropping something in his entire life. There seemed to be a sharp contrast between his scarred and calloused hands and the baby's soft skin, even if it was a little bloody. The child continued crying loudly.

Suddenly, he felt a pang of anxiety. He remembered how the relationship with his own father had been. The fear resurfaced. _What if he doesn't like me? What if I'm not a good father? I don't know anything about him, his personality, his likes, dislikes!  
_But reassurance flooded into his mind when a gentle hand touched his arm. He knew the owner of the hand was his chuunin. _Iruka will be there with me. It is possible that we will have some fights, some disagreements. But with Iruka by my side, everything will be all right in the end... _  
_  
_He carefully hugged the small body to his chest. For some reason, he loved Iruka more than ever right at this moment. He noticed that the child had opened his eyes, and could not hold back a smile. He was starting to love this kid too, though it would take time for them to get to know each other.

_Huh, about fifteen years! _Obito said mockingly. Kakashi ignored him. He handed the baby to the doctor.  
"He's a healthy child. Three kilos!" She measured his height and weight and made notes on her clippad. A sigh from the bed reminded Kakashi that he'd completely forgotten Natsume.

"Er...are you all right? You almost broke my hand there, so it must have hurt a lot...You did wonderfully, by the way."  
She smiled tiredly. "He's officially yours, Kakashi. All I want now is some rest..." Her smile became broader. "And just think...in a few weeks...I'll be able to fit into my college pants again!"  
"That's nice..." The jounin answered absently; he wasn't really listening.

Iruka felt himself shaking. Kami, he was so close to tears that his vision was blurry. _My son, my child...mine and Kakashi's...I'm so happy..._

Just then, he felt a pair of strong arms enveloping him. He buried his face in his lover's shoulder. "Kashi...I love you so much..."

He felt the hug getting tighter. "Me too..."

"All right! We're home; aren't you excited? This is where you'll be spending your childhood! Let's have a tour."

"Seriously Iru-kun, we need a name for him. How long do you think we can keep up calling him 'you'?"

"Maa, maa, when it comes to that, you're more indecisive than me, you've got no right to complain."

"That's true..." Kakashi chuckled and kissed his beaming lover on the forehead. Iruka's enthusiasm was contagious, and he followed his dolphin as he toured the house with the 48-hour-old baby in his arms.

"This used to be the study, but now it's your room. See the crib there? Daddy Kashi made it for you! Isn't he amazing?"

The jounin playfully poked Iruka at the last comment, but he kept on smiling. He set down the baby seat on the floor and looked around. He was amazed that they had managed to get everything they needed without buying anything new.

Not that he hadn't been willing to spend, but he and Iruka hated seeing things going to waste. Most of the mothers of Iruka's students had single-child families, so they had a ton of hardly-used baby clothes and accessories to give away. The only brand-new things they had were the diapers and the pacifier, now neatly put away in the dresser.

"And we're back to this room, where Daddy Kashi seems to be daydreaming." Kakashi turned around. Iruka was smiling at him, making their son wave his arm. He cracked a smile too.

"Come here, both of you."

He wrapped one arm around Iruka and took the child in the other and held them both tightly. He let out a deep breath. He was home. He had Iruka in his arms. Now he even had son. For the first time he felt _complete_.

Iruka let the hug to go on as long as his arms would allow before cramping. "Let's go to bed." Kakashi started to move towards the crib, but Iruka stopped him and took the baby. He walked into the bedroom, put the kid in the center of the bed and changed into his pajamas.

Kakashi walked in right after him. "What are you doing?" He sounded confused, not scolding. "He has his own crib, why did you bring him here? And the changing table is in the other room, too."  
"He's sleeping with us."  
"Whaa? But...but I'll turn over and smother him, Iruka!"  
"Maa, you won't. Sometimes you turn over and squish me for a second, but then you sense you're on something uneven and turn again without even waking up."  
"Are you sure...?"  
"He's not _that_ tiny." He smiled. "He'll cry if he's uncomfortable, so don't worry."

Still a bit unsure, Kakashi took off his shirt and slipped on his pajama pants beofre before slipping under the covers. The baby turned unfocused eyes on him. The jounin caressed the soft cheek gently.  
"Let me guess, is this so he can get used to us?"  
"Partly. It's also because _we _have to get used to _him_."  
"Maa, we both like him already."

Iruka lay down on the other side of the bed, the child between them. Both lovers smiled at the same time. "I love you two."

Kakashi felt a tugging in his neck. "No, don't put that in your mouth, it tastes icky!" He did his best to gently remove his dog tag from the child's mouth.

"Hey, Kashi! Asuma and Kurenai are here!" Iruka called from the front door.

Kakashi bounced his son on his hip. "Look sharp! We have guests."

Kurenai's first reaction upon seeing the baby was a squeal. "He's the cutest thing in the world!"

"I know!"

"He's so tiny!"

"He's adorable!"

The copy-nin sat down smiling next to Asuma, while his spouse and the kunoichi fawned over his confused-looking son.

"Congratulations, Kakashi; he looks just like you."

"You're just saying that; right now he doesn't look like anybody."

"Fine, but I would bet this week's wages that he turns out with your face, at the least."

"Hmmm..."

The older jounin chewed his unlit cigarette. "You know, I was worried at first."

"About what?"

"About you. You don't look exactly like a family man...and you were so happy just with Iruka-sensei...I dunno, I feared this would end badly... But now I'm glad to see you so happy."

"Thank you, Asuma. I feared so too, actually...but with Iruka at my side, I could do anything."

The chain-smoker gave him a knowing smile. "I know what you mean; I feel the same about my Kuren--"

"Hey, Asuma, hold him while I take a picture!" The infant was suddenly placed on the jounin's lap.

The man almost panicked. "Kurenai, what am I supposed to do with this??"

She laughed. "Just make sure he doesn't fall off. C'mon, he won't bite!" She fumbled in her bag for a camera.

Asuma, meanwhile, looked as if he feared that biting was just the thing Kakashi's son was likely to do and didn't move. The kid ignored him and continued chewing on the ear of the small stuffed cat Kurenai had bought him.

"Oh, and what's his name?" the kunoichi asked as she focused the lens and clicked, capturing her husband's bemused expression.

"Kashi and I are still debating about it. We've narrowed it down to two options: Kasuma or Shinji."

"Really? I like Shinji better; it's cuter."

The bearded man cleared his throat. "Kasuma? Is that a sort of anagram for Sakumo?"

Kakashi smiled and scratched his nose. "Sharp as ever, my friend."

"Then I would agree with giving him such an honorable name."

Iruka took the child and placed it between his crossed legs. "See, Kashi? Even they have a fifty-fifty opinion on this. Maybe we should toss a coin."

"Maa, let's wait another week."

"And what did Naruto have to say, Kakashi? He's your student, and he's also fond of Iruka; he's bound to have an opinion."

"I'm afraid that Naruto II or Uzumaki Jr. were not part of the definitive list, even if he suggests it a few hundred times every time he comes over," responded the copy-nin tiredly. Asuma and Kurenai laughed good-humoredly.

"And Gai?" Kurenai twirled a pacifier between her fingers.

Iruka chuckled nervously. "He made a list, too."

"Really?" Asuma turned around to face the other jounin, who was pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose. He smiled. "I guess, it was full of his usual Gai-ness."

"You wouldn't know..." Kakashi mumbled.

He had a flashback of the events a week past. He had naively opened the door when someone knocked and there had been his rival, clad in full spandex glory.

"I have heard the wonderful news! This must be the most joyous event of the springtime of your youth, oh Eternal Rival! What a joyous time to populate the village with your own! This must be a highly emotional time for you! Now, without fear or hesitation, fly! Fly into my bosom!" The man delivered a speech in his usual booming voice, which woke up the baby, who began to cry.

Kakashi was too stunned by Gai's presence to kill him. He had completely forgotten the man's existence since he had brought his son home. And at the best of times, Gai's whole demeanor was...overwhelming. Since the copy-nin did not run to embrace him, Gai stepped inside and delivered his bone-cracking hug # 3.

"Aren't you happy to see me, rival?"

"Hgnh!" Was all that Kakashi could manage to say for the lack of air in his lungs.

"And is _this_ the son of my eternal rival? Pleased to meet you!"

"Gai, no!"

But before the silver-haired nin could get his breath back, the Green Beast of Konoha strode his way into the living room. He picked up the bawling child with a gentleness that flabbergasted Kakashi. He recalled that Gai could un-Gai himself at will for serious situations, but he was still surprised.

The spandex-clad man rocked the baby softly. "I hope he's a strong as you, Kakashi," he smiled, "then he'll grow up to be a great man, too."

"Uhh...thanks?" Kakashi's breathing eased when his son's cries became softer has he calmed down in his friend's arms.

"What's his name?"

"Iruka and I haven't decided yet...he's out buying groceries, if you're wondering."

"Why, then I shall have to compose a list, to help my eternal rival choose a good name for his offspring!"

Like an elastic band, Gai returned to his usual self. He handed back the whimpering infant to Kakashi, who was now back to his usual self. The copy-nin had figured out years ago that trying to understand Gai's ways would break his brain. "There! I'm done!"

"What the hell? That was fast!"

"Ha ha! Perhaps you're not the only genius in Konoha, Eternal Rival!"

Kakashi glanced down at the scroll Gai had just handed him. It was full of complex kanji.

"Mountain-cat-that-jumps-over-creek-to-battle-fire, Little-cricket-flies-to-defeat-snail, eagle-watches-over-battle-fields, boy-that-one-day-shall-wear-green."

author's note: kanji names can be interpreted in several ways since each kanji has usually at least two meanings. For example "Kakeru Manabe" can be written "true pot flies" (ma true, nabe pot, kakeru to fly) So Gai's suggestion's are not far-fetched, just extravagant

Iruka doubled over with laughter. "You didn't tell me the cricket one before!"

The copy-nin shook his head. "And it went on after that. He stayed until I told him I had a favourite."

"And what did you do with the list?" Asuma chuckled.

"I had my ninken bury it. I have a hard time coming to terms with _any_ child being named 'lily-that-blooms-at-blue-pond-in-springtime'."

Kurenai laughed heartily as she got up. "Well, it's high time we left. Let's go, Asuma."

He got up and nodded to the married couple. "Congratulations again, you two."

"Maa, Asuma, " Iruka joked, "Maybe next time we see each other _we_ will congratulate _you_ on making a kid."

The older jounin momentarily lost his cool. "That's not going to happen to me! Kurenai and I are very happy as we are!"

"After today, I actually think I could go for a little family." The kunoichi shook hands with the kid merrily.

"What??"

"It's the fate of every man, Asuma," Kakashi patted his friend's back knowingly, "Sooner or later you're going to be trapped, too."

"Kashi! Don't make it sound so negative!"

"Maa, I was joking, right, Asuma?"

Kurenai laughed at the way her husband went pale at Kakashi words. She hooked her arm on his and said good bye.

Kakashi waited until the door was closed to loop his arm around his husband's waist.

"So how about we have our own fun now, hm...?"

"Kashi...at least let me put him to sleep...nh!" There was hand groping its way into Iruka's underwear, and it was not his own.

"I've been thinking...this indecision over the name is getting old...I've decided that _you_ are gonna choose..." He stroked the hardening length to punctuate each word, "right _now_, while we do this."

"Ngh! Kashi, are you sure we should ah! d-do it this way...?"

The copy-nin slipped his tongue sensually over Iruka's ear, while undoing his own pants. "I'm quite sure, love."

"Hghnah...Kasuma...no...Shinji...yes...wait..Kasu--nongh!" Iruka felt his brain beginning to shut down as his lover thrusted against him. He knew he didn't have much longer.

"C'mon Iruka, say the name, just tell me."

"Shinji!" Iruka managed to blurt out as he came.

Kakashi smiled. "I knew you'd go for the cute one."

**Omake: Ninja's lullaby song**

"Hush little baby, don't say a word

daddy's going to buy a mocking bird

and if that mocking bird don't sing

daddy's going to rip its head off

and shove it down its throat

until it shits it out through the other side."


End file.
